Penne Primavera with Chicken Meatballs

We’ve started our summer adventures (when you are raising boys, there is no downtime, so I have at least three fun things a week planned to keep them excited and busy). I love to cook at home, but not necessarily from scratch, so any help I can get in the kitchen to let me spend as much time having fun with my sons or entertaining friends is very appreciated. I’m sharing an easy to make, delicious Penne Primavera with Chicken Meatballs recipe with you that I recently made for the first time when some girlfriends were over, and have since made twice for dinner. Soooo good and sooo easy to make!

We have so much going on this summer, including going to the Bronx Zoo, the Long Island Aquarium (to play with penguins and learn to “train” seals), visiting the Museum of Natural History to check out real dinosaur bones with the boys for the first time, and so much more. I do love to cook, but for the time being, the real action is happening outside the kitchen, so I’m grateful Cooked Perfect® Frozen Meatballs can help me offer everyone great meals and not miss out on anything.

Cooked Perfect Frozen Meatballs are available in 11 flavors, and my favorites are All Natural Italian Style Meatballs, All Natural Homestyle Meatballs, and All Natural Chicken Meatballs. Because they are already cooked, they are ready to be baked and added to your favorite summer recipes- a dinner with friends, a barbecue with the neighbors, a pool party on those hot summer days.

Whether the gathering is big or small, Cooked Perfect Meatballs are Crafted For Summer Fun and will make the event a hit. They are the best choice for meatballs too, made with select meats, real cheeses, and savory herbs to enhance to taste to perfection, then flame-broiled to sear in all that flavor. Ready quickly on those busy summer days where so much is going on, easy to make, and the tastiest – yum!

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. While oven preheats, cook penne to al dente according to directions on package.
2. Bake meatballs at 350º F for 20 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, stir penne pasta and Cooked Perfect All Natural Chicken Meatballs together, then add in green and red peppers, season with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and stir together.
4. Serve into bowls, and top with cheese of choice. Enjoy!

I love that these are chicken meatballs (and all natural), and since Cooked Perfect also offers turkey meatballs and regular meatballs, I can choose whatever I want on a whim for variety- no extra work for me! Cooked Perfect Meatballs are available in your grocer’s freezer aisle (I picked up mine at my local Stop n’ Shop), and the red, white, and green striped package is easy to find- just like the Italian flag. I chose red and green peppers for this recipe to recreate the Italian flag :)